Agencies navigate complex culture of child punishment

Area officials are warning guardians of children to be careful when using corporal punishment as a form of discipline because sometimes it can cross the line to a point where authorities get involved.

KATIE HANSEN Daily News Staff

Area officials are warning guardians of children to be careful when using corporal punishment as a form of discipline because sometimes it can cross the line to a point where authorities get involved.

Heidi Baur, director of Onslow County Department of Social Services, said DSS gets involved in matters of physical discipline of a child under two circumstances: when the discipline leaves a mark or a bruise on a child, and when age plays a factor.

If a person uses corporal punishment to discipline an infant or a child younger than school-age, Baur said DSS intervenes.

Last month, a Richlands man was charged with misdemeanor charges after allegedly spanking a boy until he bruised him. The man was accused of “excessive spanking” a 5-year-old boy on the buttocks, breaking veins and causing bruises, according to warrants.

Baur said DSS will sometimes intervene in cases with unusual punishment as well. She said they have seen parents who made their children kneel on raw rice, hold heavy objects over their head until they literally could no longer withstand the weight and run until they dropped.

She said in some of these instances, it’s not illegal punishment, but considered inappropriate; and DSS will become involved to help parents take education classes or help the families with other services.

Baur said the DSS will learn about a potential problem, investigate a family, determine if DSS’s services are needed and then provide parents with education or the proper help they need. She said they then will monitor parents.

If DSS determines a child is in imminent danger of serious injury, the department will remove the child from the home. However, she said they try very hard not to remove children from their homes if other services can be rendered.

Baur said when DSS removes a child from his or her parents, it is a legal action rendered by a petition, which is always signed by a judge or magistrate. Children can be removed to foster care with family, friends or, as a last resort, strangers.

Though Baur does not recommend corporal punishment as a form of discipline, she offers advice for those people who do wish to use it.

She says people should always use it as a last resort and never when they are angry; she also cautions to never use an object, for it is much more likely to leave a mark or a bruise on a child than a hand is.

Baur also suggests to any parent struggling with problems of frustration, exhaustion or the challenges of parenting alone to seek out local resources such as PEERS, a family development center on Chaney Avenue. Baur said PEERS offers free parenting education classes, information, and even free drop-in child care for a parent who needs a break every once in a while.

“When you’re on your last nerve, it’s time to step back and ask for help,” Baur said.

To report abuse or call for help, contact:

- Onslow County Department of Social Services 910-455-4145 1915 Onslow Dr. in Jacksonville